Machine for tapering wire.



J. A. HORTON.

MACHINE FOR TAPERING WIRE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23,1911

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

3 SHBETS-SHEET 1.

mat 71. asses V J. A. HORTON.

MACHINE FOB. TAPERING WIRE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1911.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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LA. HORTON.

MACHINE FOR TAPERING WIRE.

APPLIOA'IION FILED JUNE 23, 1911.

1 pm 9T 00% ,m it Mi mm- UH Du M M dm m J ma UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES ALEXANDER HORTON, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRITISH STEEL & WIRE COMPANY, LIMITED, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

MACHINE FOB TAPEBING WIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

Application filed June 28, 1911. Serial No. $34,980.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES ALEXANDER HORTON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at 10 lVeybosset street, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Tapering- The, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to a machine for tapering wire in accordance with the method described in my prior application for Letters Patent of the United States Serial No. 546,227 filed on the 26th February 1910, and has for its chief object to construct a simple and efficient machine for carrying out such method.

Important features of the invent-ion comprise a hand operated device for increasing or diminishing the amount of taper that is imparted to the wire during the tapering operation.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect the same is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 2 of a taper wire drawing machine constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the machine. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detached section of the wire tapering head drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a plan of the head and Fig.

-6 is a front elevation of the head showing the measuring device. Fig. 7 is a detached view of the measuring device drawn to a 5' larger scale.

A indicates the wire and B the die; the latter-is constructed from a solid piece of metal having an external surface conical in form to fit in a correspondingly shaped hole in a die socket b that is carried by the frame C of the wire tapering head.

D indicates a two-armed lever pivoted at d in the frame C. The short arm d of this lever is situated in line with the die B and interposed between the latter and the arm (Z is a die prop b and a removable thrust block b which permits of the insertion and removal of thedie and die prop from the v wheel a".

speed in relation to the said. movement of the winding drum whereb the die orifice is gradually contracted an imparts the desired amount of taper to the wire. In addition to this arrangement the machine is also provided with the aforesaid hand operated device whereby the amount of taper'ca-n be increased or diminished while the drawing operation is. taking place. In the example shown for effecting these purposes two worm wheels E and F are mounted upon the spindle E between transverse portions of the frame C, the worm wheel E being threaded internally to engage with the threaded portion of the spindle and the worm wheel F having a key f which engages with a keyway 6 extending along the spindle E. By this arrangement rotation of either of the worm wheels produces relative movement bet-ween the threaded portions of the spindle and of the worm wheel E with the result that an endwise movement is imparted to the spindle. The worm wheel E is driven by gearing from the main driving shaft G on which is a bevel wheel g gearing with a bevel pinion g on a shaft g that is driven from any suitable source of power through the counter-shaft g and gear wheels 9* and 9 The shaft G imparts motion to the wire drawing drum H through the pinion h and spur wheel h. In the example shown the gearing for rotating the worm wheel E comprises a bevel wheel g" that is rigidly fixed upon the shaft G; this wheel gears with a bevel wheel 6 rigidly fixed upon a shaft 6 on which is also fixed another bevel wheel e The latter gears with a bevel wheel e carried by an upright shaft 6 on which is also fixed another bevel The latter gears with a bevel wheel 6 that is keyed or otherwise secured upon the boss of a pinion e rotatably mounted upon a stud e that is carried by a portion of the frame C and constitutes one "8 the last mentioned wheel being rigidly travels over the (g the worm wheel E.

connected with a worm e that gears with In order to increase or diminish the amount of taper imparted: to the wire during the drawlng operation the worm wheel F is arranged to be operated by hand from a worm f keyed upon a shaft f on which is also fixed a hand wheel 1''. I

For the purpose of ascertaining whether i the desired taper-is being imparted tothe wire during the working of the machine a measuring device is attached to the frame C of the tapering head in front of the die opening. In the example shown the measuring device comprises a bracket J that is bolted at 7' to the frame 0 andis formed with a curved arm 7" and with an arm that extends transversely below the wire Pivoted to the bracket J in proximity to the wire A is a lever j which extends transversely above the wire and is connected at its free end by a hook joint with a finger 7" extending from a lever j in proximlty to the ivot 7' thereof that is situated at the end of t e arm The free end of the lever 7" terminates m proxi1nit to the arm 7" and serves as a pomter or mdicator for graduations j'- that are formed upon the curved arm j. Interposed between the arm 7" and I the lever j are two blocks 9' j", of which the upper block 7" is connected to a spring that is fixed in the lever 7", the lower lock bein supported by the arm 1'. These locks ear against opposite sides of the wire and any slight movement of such blocks due to variations in the diameter of the wire during the tapering operation results in a multiplied movement being imparted to the free end of the lever which raduations j on the arm 7" and thereby in icates the progress of the tapering operation. 7' represents an adjusting screw for bringing the free end of the lever into alinementwith any of the graduations on the arm 7", the pressure of the spring i upon the end of the screw i retaining the'latter in any adjusted position against vibration that may be set up by the working of the machine or by the tapering operation.

In the operation of the mechanism, the rotation of the worm wheel E, through the gearing described, causes the gradual elevation of the spindle E, because said spindle cannot revolve due to the worm F and the key f of the latter, the worm, f preventing the worm wheel F from revolving. The resulting gradual elevation of the long arm of the lever D causes the short arm of said lever to forcibly drive the die, B into the socket I), thus gradually compressing the wire, by hand, rotation of the hand wheel f I causeslthe'worm f to rotate the worm wheel F, so that the latter,'through its key f, rotates the, spindlaE relatively to the worm wheel E in which latter the spindle is threaded.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a machine for tapering wire, the combination of a die, a die socket having a contracting hole, meansfor automatically forcing the die into such hole during the passage of the wire through the die, and means by which the amount of taper can be increased or diminished while the drawing operation is taking place.

2. In a machine for tapering wire, the combination of a die, a die socket having a contracting hole, a lever for forcin the die into the contracting hole, means or automatically imp'arting movement to the lever during the passage of the wire through the die, and manually operated means for varying the position of such lever.

3. In a machine for tapering wire, the combination of a die, a die socket having a contracting hole, a lever for forcing the die into the contracting hole, a spindle arranged to exert pressure upon the. lever, means for automatically imparting endwise movement to the spindle and manually op-,

erated means for varying the position of such spindle.

4. In a machinefor tapering wire, the combination of a winding drum and gearing for operating the same, a die, a die socket havin a tapering aperture, a lever arrange to exert pressure upon the end of the die, an externally threaded spindle arranged to exert pressure upon the lever, an internally threaded worm wheel mounted upon the threaded spindle, gearing connecting such worm wheel with the gearing that operates the winding drum, a worm wheel mounted upon the spindle and connected therewith by a key and slot connection and a manually operated worm gearing with such worm wheel.

5. In a machine for tapering wire, the combination of a die, adie socket having a contracting hole, means for automatically forcing the die into such hole during the passage of the wire through the die and a wire measuringdevice forindicating the progress of the tapering operation.

6. In a machine for tapering .wire, the combination of a die, a die socket having a contracting hole, means for automatically forcing the die into such hole during the In testimony whereof I aflix my signe-' passage of the wire through the die, means ture in presence of two witnesses.

. by' which the amount of taper can be increased or diminished while the'tapering JAMES ALEXANDER-HORTON operation is taking place, and a wire meas- Witnesses: uring device for continuously indicating the WILLIAM H. THoBNLEY, Jr.,

progress of the tapering operation. I 7 CHARLES R. HASLAM. 

